DACC Application Reminder

I wanted to remind all sophomore and junior students who are interested in the Delaware Area Career Center that the priority application deadline is THIS FRIDAY!

The application is online and available for you to complete now: https://www.delawareareacc.org/o/dacchs/page/high-school-admissions

Remember, this is a competitive process to be accepted, but one of the best steps you can do for yourself is to apply by Friday so that you get the optimal level of consideration for one of their spots.

If you have any questions about DACC and their application, feel free to stop and see me!

Tomorrow's Alumni Day Schedule

Did today feel tiring to you? Perhaps it is just me being old, but wow, I am exhausted after our first day back. I hope you had a good day though.

Tomorrow we are welcoming back a small group of alumni to share their perspectives, insights and experiences with students and so we will be on a different bell schedule. The alumni presentation will take place in the auditorium during a 2A/ 2B schedule. This schedule is below for your reference.

1st period: 8:40-9:19

2nd period and assembly: 9:24 - 10:56

3rd period: 11:01 - 11:40

4th period: 11:45 - 12:24

5th period: 12:29 - 1:08

6th period: 1:13 - 1:52

7th period: 1:57 - 2:36

8th period: 2:41 - 3:20

Happy New Year

** First, I want to remind anyone reading this blog site that I have discontinued the automatic email posts coming from this site. You can sign up to have the posts sent to you automatically from the new blog site - www.wkhscounselors.wordpress.com. I have written and sent 3,951 blog posts since launching this site... which is pretty crazy. I appreciate all of the students and families as well as colleagues who have followed along the way. The new site is simply a way for all WKHS students and families to gather the information and not just "my" families. So please, join us there. And know that I appreciate you still coming back to read the updates.**

Happy New Year! 2026... I wonder how many times I will write 2025 out of habit and if that will continue beyond the month of January. (History would tell me that the answer will be I'll write the wrong date often and far into the year...) But here we are, ready to roll with the 2nd semester and a full 5 day week to get us right back into things.

I hope that you had a restful break and that you're feeling ready to be back at school... or at least ready to see your friends, teachers and classmates again! I haven't been awake even remotely close to "school time" throughout all of break so I am anticipating that waking up in the morning will be rough. I suspect I'm not alone in that concern.

One of the exciting aspects about returning to school tomorrow that I am looking forward to is seeing the new library space and the new Student Services office area - both of which are expected to be back up and running tomorrow. I think those areas being open is going to make our school seem WAY less like a construction zone than it has in the past. I believe that the athletic training room, sports lockers, and music wing addition are the big spaces that the construction teams will be continuing to work on in the 2nd semester - so that is a much smaller area of impact than what we have seen previously. Yay!

In addition to checking out the new spaces of the school, be sure to check Infinite Campus to see which of your semester long classes have changed and where you'll be going for all of the new classes. I know that there is always a lot of uncertainty about how much you will or will not like your classes or the timing of your lunch period and who you will know in the classes or in your lunches. Just try to go into tomorrow with an open mind and hopefully you'll find that you love your schedule. If you don't, remember that you will need to do a schedule change form. These forms are available on the Counselor Website for you to download or you can pick up a form from the front of the Counseling Center - it is on the black shelves to the left of the front entrance near the secretaries. Those forms are required for any year-long classes that you are going to drop and any other significant changes that you are trying to make.

Seniors, remember, you need to think VERY hard about making any schedule changes that could be seen by the colleges as changing your level of rigor from your application. The colleges asked for your senior year schedule because the classes you are taking matter to them. If you decide that you are going to change your schedule, please be sure to double check with each of the colleges to let them know about your planned schedule change and confirm with them that it will not negatively impact your admissions decision BEFORE you make a change to your schedule.

Looking forward to seeing you all and hearing both about your break and what you're hoping for in the new year!

Enjoy Winter Break

We made it through exams and are you are now officially half-way through the school year! 

I hope you and your families have a wonderful, relaxing, and enjoyable winter break. I hope that the time spent with your family and friends will be uplifting and help to recharge you for the new year ahead. 

I also want to remind you that it is ok if the holiday season is not actually "the most wonderful time of the year." The stress is real and it is important that you are taking care of yourself and those closest to you.

If you will travel - be safe. If you stay home - enjoy the extra down time. And above all, remember that you are valued and appreciated and needed.

Joy, peace and love is my wish for you and your families this holiday and in the year ahead. Have a great break and I will look forward to hearing all about it when we return.

Pressure

There is a LOT of pressure on high school students today. I am seeing and hearing that stress from many of my students and it is definitely more pronounced during exam week. 

The big reminder that I have for you is that your family members might be trying to talk to you about all these different aspects of your life - GPA, College, Career, etc - not because they are trying to add pressure to your life, but because they believe in you, they know what you're capable of, and they want the best for you. And yet, that can feel like pressure.

You cannot tackle all of the big life goals at once, but you can take care of the steps in front of you today. One day at a time. And repeat it consistently. In the end, you will reach the goals you have set for yourself. 

I'm here if you want to talk about the pressures you're feeling. For now though, remember that you only have 2 exams left. You can do this. Don't give up. Don't put too much stress on yourself to be perfect. Just do the best that you can for today and know that after 1 more day of school winter break and 2 weeks of down-time is ahead of you!

Caring Makes a Difference

Lately on the news and as I scroll on Social Media I have been caught between two different extremes... reading and watching stories of unbelievable tragedy and heartbreak or seeing and hearing stories about extraordinary compassion, generosity and kindness. (I suspect you are also seeing all of the tragic stories of late, but just to give a reference, the other stories I am seeing have been incredible "secret santa" stories or people displaying "random acts of kindness" for those around them in need.)

As I have wrestled to try to understand all of the scary, horrible things in our world, I also cling to these good stories. To remember that everything isn't all bad and that there absolutely is incredible love, grace and beauty in our world too. AND... it is up to each of us to make it that way!

That had me thinking about the "Charles Schulz Life Philosophy" that I believe isn't actually from Charles Schultz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip, but it is a series of questions that is often attributed to him and is a concept that (regardless of who really came up with it) I love.

You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just think about them and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress...

How did you do?

The point is that none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most!

As we finish out this week, semester, and calendar year, I hope that you will try to shift your attention to how you can show care and compassion for the people around you. It makes a difference and our world needs more of that right now!

Good Luck in Exams

I just wanted to wish all of you good luck on your exams tomorrow (and the rest of the week.) Good luck with your last minute studying, get a good night's sleep and then tomorrow, relax, eat a good breakfast, take a deep breath and do your best on each exam!  

Remember, you don't have to be THE best, as long as you do YOUR best!

As always, I will be anxious to hear how things go for you on your exams - so stop in, visit Lexi and say hi to share an update (and, of course, you can pick up a piece of candy too.)